As politicians continue to slug it out ahead of the October general election, a fierce battle for the post of Speaker of the National Assembly has started, Mmegi has learnt.

The race pits four Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) heavyweights in a battle that has all the ingredients of a thriller. Two Cabinet ministers, Dr Margaret Nasha (Local Government) and Gladys Kokorwe (Youth, Sports and Culture), and the incumbent Speaker, Patrick Balopi and his deputy, Thebe Mogami, are reportedly in the running.

Speaking to Nasha yesterday, she confirmed that she is vying for the hot seat.

"It's an open secret that I am contesting for the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly. Come next October, the position will be vacant," declared Nasha yesterday.

Unlike other political posts, the campaigns for the position of the Speaker are done quietly in the House. Interested parties talk to fellow MPs and duly submit their names for elections.

Nasha would not say how she was conducting her campaigns, but emphasised that she was certainly selling herself for consideration after the elections.

Nasha is not a newcomer to BDP politics having entered Parliament through special election in 1994 after her retirement from the civil service. In 1999, she ousted Michael Dingake of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) from the Gaborone Central constituency before the incumbent MP Dumelang Saleshando of the BCP avenged in 2004 and ousted Nasha.

Kokorwe, who was previously Nasha's deputy at Local Government and Balopi's deputy, confirmed yesterday that she is in the race. The former Gaborone City Clerk also needs no introduction to local politics.

"You will remember that in the past, I declared my interest for the position of Speaker through your newspaper. So, I am still in the race and I continue reminding fellow MPs about my interest," said Kokorwe yesterday.

From 1999-2004, Kokorwe was appointed Assistant Minister at Local Government whilst from 2004-08 she was elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. In a Cabinet reshuffle last April she was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, replacing Moeng Pheto.

"I continue appealing to the MPs to vote for me because they are aware of my record at Cabinet level and as a Deputy Speaker I executed myself very well," she said. She says her record will be able to determine her fate, but on the ground she is satisfied that she is reaching out.

Contacted for comment, former Cabinet member and current Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Thebe Mogami was not forthcoming.

"At this stage, I don't want to confirm or deny my candidature. I prefer to leave it to your speculation," he said yesterday.

Even with this response from Mogami, Mmegi is privy to some detail that the Tswapong North legislator has been soliciting the support of other MPs for the top post after October elections.

Just like Mogami, Balopi preferred to play his cards very close to his chest. He simply said, nna ga ke itse rra (I am not sure)" when asked if he would be defending the position of Speaker after the elections.

Balopi's name has cropped up many times amongst his colleagues who know that he is available for election. His strength lies in the fact that he is a great orator and a disciplinarian who has kept the business of Parliament running well. Even during his days as a Cabinet member, Balopi was widely respected.

All the four contestants have served in Cabinet and are familiar with government operations. It is also common among all the candidates that after October elections they will be without constituencies, as Nasha and Kokorwe have opted not to contest the party primaries this time around. Balopi retired in 1999 whilst Mogami lost the party primaries last year to Prince Maele in the Tswapong North constituency.

Although speculation doing the rounds that another interested party could join the contest, as it remains open, there is currently a gender balance amongst the pacesetters as there are two men and two women. It is not yet known who will be available for the position of the Deputy Speaker.

Nasha and Kokorwe use both Cabinet and parliamentary platforms to sell their candidatures whilst Balopi and Mogami use mainly Parliament as their launch pad for the important position.

All the party meetings where many parliamentarians gather under one roof have become very important platforms for campaigning for Speaker position. Some reportedly have taken the campaign even to higher levels through the use of Short Message Service (SMS) to put their cases across.

However, at the BDP secretariat, they would not say for certain as to who is running for the important position. BDP deputy executive secretary Kentse Ramidi said yesterday "anyone who is interested in the race for Speaker can lobby amongst the MPs but at the end of the day, it is the MPs who vote." He said they do not have to declare their interests with the party.